Hand lamp switch



Nov. 1, 1938. c, F. BURGESS HAND LAMP SWITCH Filed Dec 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 6. Burgess BY M a 5 W W m 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. '1, 1938- c. F. BURGESS HAND LAMP SWITCH Filed Dec. 5, 1936 lNVENTOR 7 1 50/9255 BY AW zuw amo ATTORNEY$ Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND LAMP SWITCH Application December 5, 1936, Serial No. 114,298

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a switch and more particularly to an improved switch for a hand lamp. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 61,879, filed February 1, 1936.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved switch which is in the form of a clip similar to those used on fountain pens, pencils and the like, and which operates by movement of a band upon the clip in such a way that when the device is used on a pen type of flashlight, engagement of the clip with the clothing of the wearer retains the band in an upper position and thus prevents accidental closure of the circuit.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown several embodiments of the invention. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional View;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the ferrule in which the bulb is mounted;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal, sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detailed, sectional view of the switch on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modification of my invention; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical, sectional view of the construction of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral l designates a flashlight casing formed of metal or other conducting material. Casing i may be made of a size convenient to carrying in the pocket to produce what is generally known as a pen type of flashlight. The bottom of the casing is preferably integral with the main portion and may be provided with an opening 2 for the insertion of an instrument to remove a cell that becomes stuck in the casing. A flashlight battery 3 is arranged in the casing and a suitable spring 4 is arranged between the bottom of the casing and the bottom of the flashlight. This spring serves the dual function of completing a circuit from the zinc electrode of the bottom cell of the battery to the casing, and also serves to force the battery upwardly in the casing to maintain the upper central electrode of the battery in engagement with the base terminal of the incandescent lamp. An insulating socket 5 of Bakelite, hard rubber or other suitable material, is cemented or riveted to a metal ferrule 6. This ferrule may be connected to the top of the casing by a bayonet joint as shown at l, or a screw thread joint such as is shown in the construction of Figs. 6 and 7 may be used. The threads for this screw thread joint may be formed by turning out a portion of the rim of casing to form thread 36, the lower edge of ferrule 3? being correspondingly formed to complete the screw thread joint. A suitable pitch may be given to the threads. Socket 5 is internally threaded and is adapted to receive the threaded stem 8 of an incandescent lamp 9. As shown the base terminal In of the lamp, when the lamp is mounted in the socket, is adapted to contact with the central electrode H of the top cell of the battery 3.

Although any suitable head or cap may be provided on the flashlight, I prefer to use the head construction described in my copending application, Serial No. 61,879. A ferrule 12 is provided to receive lamp 9 therein and adapted by means of grooves l5 coacting with the drop of solder l3 on stem 8 to lock the lamp 9 in ferrule l2 against relative rotation. Ferrule I2 is of such size that the bore I4 surrounds the upper portion of the metal base of lamp El above the threads, and the threaded portion I6 is adapted to engage the internally threaded opening of the insulating socket 5 to retain the lamp in position. The top of the lamp stem may be flanged, as at 42, to form a bearing surface acting against the shoulder of the ferrule and protecting the glass bulb from breakage.

A head construction having a reflecting surface is shown in Fig. 7. A cap similar to ferrule I2 is made up of two concentric cylinders 38 and 39, the inside surface of cylinder 38 being tapered to provide a seat for inner cylinder 39 which has its outside surface correspondingly tapered. Cylinder 38 may be made of an ornamental insulating material, and cylinder 39 may be metal. When lamp it is screwed into the socket, cylinder 39 is tightly seated in cylinder 38 which rests on ferrule 31 and socket M.

The present invention provides a simple switch which is in the form of a clip and therefore serves the dual function of a switch for the lamp and means for retaining it in the pocket of the user. As shown, a clip I 1 similar to the clips used on pens and pencils, is secured to the metal ferrule 6 and a contact member in the form of a wire or strip i8 is arranged on the inside of the clip. The lower end of the contact member is soldered or clamped to the clip as at l9 and the upper end 20 is extended substantially at right angles through an opening 2| in the insulating socket into proximity with the threaded stem of the lamp. A band 22 is arranged on the clip and the wire or strip 18 is provided with an offset portion 23 adjacent this band. The clip is shaped to limit the movement of the band between the full line and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the band is in the lower full line position, it is beneath the portion of the wire or strip [8 which normally lies in contact with the clip, and this causes the upper end 20 of the wire or strip to be moved inwardly into contact with the stem of the lamp and thus closes the circuit. When the clip is moved upwardly it is beyond the offset portion 23 of the wire or strip l8 and therefore does not exert inward pressure on the wire or strip. In this position the resiliency of the wire or strip causes it to move outwardly toward the clip, and this breaks the circuit.

A modification of the above described switch is shown in Fig. '7, the switch mechanism being mounted in a similar way on clip 3!. Spring strip 25 is mounted interiorly of clip 3i by means of a nib 32 at the bottom end thereof, a small hole 33 being provided in nib 32 to receive toe 39 of the spring strip 25. When assembled, toe abuts against shoulder 34 of clip 3i, thereby preventing the removal of nib 32 without depress ing the bottom end of strip 25 to withdraw toe 38 from hole 33. Spring strip 25 is provided at the other end with a turned-in contact-making portion 26 and an intermediate offset portion 21 substantially equal in length to the width of band or ring 28 which encircles both spring strip 25 and the shank of clip 3|. A shoulder 29 at the bottom of the offset'portion acts as a stop for band 28. The strip is so mounted and fashioned that the end of contact-making portion 26 is continuously urged into contact with the stem of lamp 40 when band 28 is in the full line position, that is, when encircling oifset portion 21. When ring 28 is pushed upwardly to the dotted line position, the contact-making portion 26 of spring strip 25 is moved outwardly to the dotted line position, thereby breaking the contact between end portion 26 and the lamp stem to open the circuit.

Although the switch herein described may be used on various types of hand lamps, itis particularly adapted for use on hand lamps of the pen or pocket type. When the device is placed in the pocket, the engagement with the garment will move the band 22 or 28 to its upper position and while it is in the pocket the band will be retained in the upper position, thus preventing accidental closure of the circuit. An added convenience of the present construction is that the support for the clip is removable from the casing of the flashlight whereby to enable the user to bend the clip inwardly to secure a tighter grip upon the pocket if the clip by use or accident has been bent away from the casing.

While I have disclosed a flashlight, a switch for a flashlight and a novel lamp construction in this application, the claims of this application are directed to the switch construction and the claims drawn particularly to the incandescent lamp are the subject matter of an additional application, Serial No. 150,276, filed June 25, 1937.

I claim:

1. A switch for a pen type flashlight comprising a clip mounted thereon and adapted to retain the flashlight in the pocket of the user, said clip having an elongated shank portion, a spring member secured to the lower end of said clip and extending upwardly on the inside thereof and having a portion substantially co-extensive with said shank portion of said clip, and a band substantially encircling the shank portion of said clip and passing between said shank portion of said clip and said spring member, said construction being so arranged that movement of said band along the shank portion of said clip causes said free end of said member to move with respect to said clip.

2. A switch for a pen type flashlight comprising a clip mounted thereon and adapted to retain the flashlight in the pocket of the user, said clip having an elongated shank portion, a spring member secured to the lower end of said clip and extending upwardly on the inside thereof and having a portion substantially co-extensive with said shank portion of the clip, an off-set portion on said spring member and a band substantially encircling the shank portion of said clip, said construction being so arranged that movement of said band along the shank portion of said clip causes said free end of said member to move with respect to said clip.

3. In a hand lamp, a casing, a switch comprising a clip attached at one end to the casing, said clip having an elongated shank portion, a spring strip disposed between the clip and the casing and having an end projecting into the casing, the portion of the spring strip underlying the shank portion of said clip having an intermediate offset portion, said spring strip having a curved portion adapted to bear against the inside of said clip near the free end thereof, a toe at the lower end of said strip extending at substantially a right angle to the shank portion of said clip, a cap member adapted to seat on the free end of said clip and having a recess on the interior surface thereof adapted to receive said toe and maintain said spring strip in assembled position, stop means on the free end of said clip adapted to engage said toe to thereby prevent downward movement of said strip and said cap when said toe engages said recess, and a band encircling the shank portion of said clip and said spring strip member and movable thereon to thereby cause the end of said spring strip projecting into said casing to move inwardly and outwardly.

CHARLES F. BURGESS. 

